Yesterday I did a moderated speed workout on the track with the kids. We did four sets of 2 x (200m run with 200m jog) + 400m run with 400m jog. With the jogging and running portions of the workout added together, each set equals one mile.
When the boys were done, I did one set with the girls, so I did five sets in all. I ran a 1.5 mile warm-up before and a 1.5 cool-down after, which brought me to 8 miles for the day.
I was surprised about how good I felt. One thing in particular I noticed was how well my feet turned over and how easy it was to keep proper cadence. I believe improvement in this area comes, in part, from doing all my workouts for the last three weeks in minimal shoes that force me to get off my heels.
The verdict is still out about whether or not I’ll get some peculiar injury as a result of making such a radical shift in footwear. (Well, it’s not too radical or abrupt of a shift. I trained all winter on the treadmill on the same shoes, but treadmill running is different from running on streets and sidewalks.)
So far, though, I like how I feel. It seems as though my stride is becoming more efficient.